Ripped At The Seams
by Girlz-Rule
Summary: Summary: Ponyboy is only three when his parents die. Darry and Soda try their hardest to take good care of him, but is their hardest good enough?
1. Chapter 1

**Ripped at the seams **

**Summary: Ponyboy is only three when his parents die. Darry and Soda try their hardest to take good care of him, but ****is their hardest good enough?**

**Chapter 1:**

**Darry POV:**

"Darry! Come meet my new friend." Pony said as I picked him up from daycare. "His name is Charlie and he's real tuff."

"That's great." I said as Pony led me to the back of the class to meet his friend. There were only a couple kids left, most of the kids' parents had already picked their kids up but everyone had been too busy today so I had to leave work early. Pony led me to a kid that was talking to his mom.

"That's him mom." The kid said pointing to Pony and smiling.

"Hi, I'm Charlie's mom, Veronica." The woman standing beside Charlie said. "You must be Pony's father. Aren't you kinda young to have a kid?"

"No, I'm his brother." I told her, leaving the part about our parents out.

"Oh, that sounds better." She laughed. "well it was nice meeting you…"

"Darry." I filled her in.

"Darry… why don't we set up a play date for the kids sometime? Charlie can get your number from Pony and we'll call each other." She said.

"Ya, sure." I told her. Pony was grinning from ear to ear.

"Great, well come on Charlie we have to go." She said and they walked out of the daycare.

"Darry, can I invite Charlie to my birthday party?" Pony asked as we drove home.

"Sorry kiddo, but the book is full." I told him.

"Ok." He replied, sadly. Pony's birthday was the day after tomorrow and Soda and Two-Bit just couldn't not throw him party. It was gonna be just the gang and Evie and Sandy, Steve's and Soda's girlfriends, but Pony was real excited. Soda had told him that turning three was a bit accomplishment, it meant he was becoming a big boy and he's not a baby anymore.

**Two days later:**

"Hey wake up birthday boy!" Two-Bit and Soda screamed as they ran into the room Soda and Pony shared. A few minutes later Pony came running into the kitchen, fully dressed.

"Guess what Darry!" he said standing by my feet.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm a big boy now!" he yelled and hugged my legs. I couldn't help but laugh at how excited he was.

"Come on Pone let's go get the cake for your party!" Soda said as he grabbed the car keys and walked out the door, Pony following close behind.

"Now Superman, it's time to wrap the presents and start the burgers before they get back." Two-Bit said as he walked into the kitchen.

I started on the burgers while Two-Bit wrapped the presents. Dally, Johnny, and Steve came about an hour after and then we just waited for Pony and Soda to return. Sandy and Evie came 20 minutes before Soda and Pony did and decorated the house.

"So that's why it's tuff to smoke." Soda said as he as Pony came in through the door.

The party kicked off pretty quick, everyone danced to Elvis for a while and then we ate. We were right in the middle of opening the presents when there was a knock at the door. Soda went to answer it and came back with his face paler than ever.

"Darry, there's someone at the door for you." He said and sat down on the couch bringing Pony to sit on his lap. Pony had just opened Soda's present to reveal a teddy bear he had wanted from the mall since he heard Elvis's song 'teddybear'. I walked to the door and stepped out onto the porch to find two police officers and a social services worker.

"How may I help you?" I asked, knots forming in my stomach.

"Darrel Shayne Curtis Junior?" the social worker asked. I simply nodded. "I'm Mrs. Wilkins and I'm here to take your younger brother, Ponyboy Michael Curtis, to an adoption home." Her words hit me like 20 bricks.

"What? Why?" I asked. The state had come to check on us last week and they had said everything looked good. Had they been lying?

"We feel that Ponyboy would be better off with a different family, one who can provide for him while still giving him everything he wants. We've had him up for a while and yesterday morning a family chose him. " Mrs. Wilkins told me.

"Well, thank you for you concern but Ponyboy is just fine where he is." I said.

"Darry! Darry! Look at what Johnny got me!" Pony came running out onto the porch with a photo album filled with pictures of our parents and the gang in his hands, but he came to a crashing halt as soon as he saw the police officers.

"Hi Ponyboy, I'm Mrs. Wilkins. How are you today?" she said.

"I dunno." He said leaning against me.

"Pony why don't you go inside and look at the pictures with Johnny and send Soda out here." I told him.

"Okay, Darry." he said and ran inside. Soda emerged a few seconds later, closing the door behind him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're here to take Ponyboy Curtis to is adoption parents." A cop answered.

"What? Since when was he up for adoption?" Soda asked, looking at me, disappointment evident in his eyes.

"We've had him up since the death of your parents, without Darrel's consent." Mrs. Wilkins explained.

"Now boys we can do this the easy way where you give us the kid or we can do it the hard way, where we take him and put you two behind bars for kidnapping." An officer said. Soda had tears freely flowing down his cheeks, and I felt my own eyes beginning to water. I hadn't cried at my parent's funeral but I had promised my parents I'd take care of Pony no matter what and seeing him being ripped from me hurt.

"Soda, go pack Pony's stuff please." Mrs. Wilkins said. Soda ran into the house and I heard his bedroom door slam closed.

"Darry? What's wrong with Soda?" Pony asked as he came out onto the porch. I knelt down so I was roughly eye level and told him that the state was taking him from us. I had been trying my best to keep my tears from coming down but the look on Pony's face and the way he hugged me, like he never wanted to let go, just pushed me over the edge.

Soda came back with two bags packed with most of Pony's stuff and hugged him before Mrs. Wilkins ripped Pony out of Soda's grasp and drove off with him.

**Well this is the first chapter, tell me what you think. This is going to be a short story, not longer than maybe 6 chapters. Please R&R:)**


	2. birthday

**Ripped at the seams **

**Summary: Ponyboy is only three when his parents die. Darry and Soda try their hardest to take good care of him, but ****is their hardest good enough?**

**Chapter ****2:**

**Eight Years Later:**

**Darry POV:**

It had been eight years since the state had taken Ponyboy away from me and Soda. It hurt like crazy everyday, that's why we never talked about it. Soda and Sandy had gotten married two years ago and had a son who was one. His name is Jack. I had married a woman named Janine a five years ago. I never told her about Ponyboy, it would have hurt too much and she wouldn't have been able to do anything about it anyways. We had a little girl not long after, her name is Michaela. Janine picked it, she said her grandmother was named Michaela and she wanted our daughter to have the same name. Every time I called Michaela her real name my mind went to Ponyboy so I always called her Mimi. The hard thing was today was her third birthday. I was in the kitchen drinking a glass of coffee with Soda and Steve when Mimi came in running up to me.

"Daddy! Daddy, guess what?" she said.

"What?" I asked, smiling at her.

"I'm three today! Mommy says that makes me a big girl!" she shouted and ran to tell anyone else she could. I just sat there, frozen. Those were pretty much the same words Pony had said to me only hours before they took him away.

"Hon, you ok?" Janine asked me as she came into the kitchen. Soda was looking down at the paper, but not reading it and Steve was watching him, like if he didn't Soda would start bawling.

"Yeah, I just… uh I was just remembering something Soda did when he was younger. No big deal." I lied.

"Mommy, mommy! Turn the radio on please! My favourite song is on!" Mimi begged as she came into the kitchen and sat on my lap. Janine turned on the radio and Elvis's 'teddybear' came through the speakers. I saw Steve flinch, he hadn't liked Pony when he was here but it hurt even him when they took him away. After about one verse Soda bolted out of the kitchen.

"Soda?" Sandy yelled after him. She had come into the kitchen and was holding a sleeping Jack.

"Is he ok?" Janine asked. I sighed and handed Mimi to Janine.

"I'll go check, I think I know what it's about." I said. I walked out to the porch to find Soda sitting on the steps, tears threatening to roll down his face any minute. I sat next to him and put my arm around his shoulders.

"Why does it have to be so hard? I mean I wanna be happy for Mimi but I can't stop thinking about Pony." Soda said.

"I know, Pepsi-cola, I know."

"Daddy? Who's Pony?" Mimi asked from behind me.

"Someone we used to know. He had to leave a couple years ago. Why don't you go play with uncle Steve." I told her and she ran off.

**Steve POV:**

Sandy was sitting on a chair eating her breakfast with Jack fast asleep in her arms, Evie was sitting next to her and Janine was just sitting down to start her eggs.

"Mommy, do you know who Pony is?" Mimi asked as she came into he kitchen. I had just taken a mouthful of coffee and was now nearly choking on it.

"No I don't, but I have a feeling uncle Steve does." Janine said. I felt tears sting my eyes. I never really liked the kid but when he was taken away the whole gang was torn. Even Dallas Winston had tears threatening his eyes that night.

"No, I… I don't know him." I said.

"You mean Darry never told you about him?" Evie asked, and I shot her the hardest glare ever!

"No. Is there something I should know?" Janine asked.

"No! He was just a guy we used to know, he left town about eight years ago." I said.

**Soda POV:**

Tears were freely flowing down my face now and Darry had a few tears rolling down his face.

"He turned 11 two months ago." I whispered.

"I know, I went to mom's and dad's graves that day." Darry told me.

"Me too." I said.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Two-Bit asked as he came up the stairs with his wife, Fran. Darry and I cleaned ourselves up as best we could.

"Nothing." Darry said.

"Uncle Two-Bit! Aunty Fran! Guess what!" Mimi said as she ran up to them.

"What?" Two-bit asked, he had fallen for it.

"It's my birthday today! I'm three!" Mimi said.

"Wow, you're a big girl." Fran smiled. I looked at Two-Bit and saw a bit of hurt in them.

"Uncle Two-Bit." Mimi said.

"Yeah?" Two-Bit asked.

"What do you know about a Pony? Uncle Steve didn't tell me much." Mimi said. Two-Bit stiffened and I had to look away so if a tear came no one would see. Darry just tightened his grip on me.

"Nothing, don't remember him." Two-Bit said. Mimi shrugged and ran into the house followed by Fran.

"You guys ok?" Two-Bit asked.

"I dunno." Darry answered for both of us. It was then I realized how hard it really must have been for Darry. he couldn't run away, it was his daughter's birthday any one of us could run home saying there was something that they had to do at work but Darry couldn't. it was then that I swore to myself that no matter how bad it hurt I would sit through it all with Darry.

**Here's the next chapter, hope you like it. I just couldn't wait to put this one up. Please R&R:)**


	3. Pony's birthday

**Ripped at the seams **

**Summary: Ponyboy is only three when his parents die. Darry and Soda try their hardest to take good care of him, but ****is their hardest good enough?**

_Disclaimer: I Don't own the Outsiders!_

**Chapter ****3:**

**Pony's POV:**

"Michael come on! You've slept long enough, your friends will be here for your birthday any minute!" my mom yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah alright!" I yelled back. I was pretty lucky, I was a middle class kid so I got to hang out with the cool socs and wear comfy jeans with a nice shirt. A lot of my friends consisted of socs or middle classers. I got out of bed and went to take a shower. By the time I was finished getting ready my three best friends had showed up.

"Hey, James, Randy, Bob." I said as I into the living room. It was my eleventh birthday today so all my friends were coming over for my birthday party.

"Happy birthday man!" They said. James was a middle classer, in fact he was my neighbor, while Bob and Randy were socs.

"Honey, Ryan's here!" my mom called as another one of my friends came into the living room. Half an hour later all my friends were here and we were dancing to music, and stuffing our faces with junk food. I had made my parents promise to stay out of the way through out the whole party. Randy and Bob had persuaded me to invite a couple of girls. They had ended up inviting Cherry, Marcia and they whole cheerleading squad. There were rumors around school that Cherry liked me but you can never be sure.

We ended up playing all the games like spin the bottle, and seven minutes in heaven. We ate dinner at about 6:00 along with cake and presents and everyone left at about 8:00.

"Did you enjoy your party?" My dad asked as I came into the living room to watch tv.

"Yeah it was great thanks for staying out of the way." I told him, flipping through the channels.

"No problem." My mom said, coming in to watch tv with me and my dad.

**During the night: Dream**

"_Darry! Darry! guess what! I'm a big boy! Soda said so!"_

"_Great"_

"_Come on Pone, let's go get your cake" _

"_Ok"_

"_Here Ponykid, this ones from me."_

"_A mickey mouse shirt."_

"_What else."_

"_This ones from me and Darry kiddo." _

"_A Teddybear! Just the one I wanted!"_

"_Yep."_

"_Open Johnny's next." _

"_A Picture Album, COOL!"_

I woke up in a cold sweat like I did every year the night of my birthday. The same questions always floated around in my head too. Who was this kid, Pony? Who were the others? And why did I always have the same dream?

**Here's my next chapter. I realize it's short but tomorrow is my first day of school so I was kinda busy. Hope you like it, please R&R:)**


	4. back forever

**Ripped at the seams **

**Summary: Ponyboy is only three when his parents die. Darry and Soda try their hardest to take good care of him, but ****is their hardest good enough?**

_Disclaimer: I Don't own the Outsiders!_

**Chapter ****4:**

**Darry POV:**

"Honey can you pick Michaela up from school?" Janine asked me, as I left for work.

"Sure." I said as I left. Michaela was now ten and Jack was seven. Dally and Silvia were into their fourth year of marriage, Two-Bit and Fran were into their ninth year, Steve and Evie's son, Matt, was now two and Johnny had married a girl named Jessica.

Later that day:

**Janine POV:**

I was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. I walked to the door and opened it.

"Hi, how may I help you?" I asked the young man standing in front of me. it was amazing how much he looked like Darry and Soda.

"I'm looking for Darrel Shayne Curtis or Sodapop Patrick Curtis." He said.

"I'm sorry but they're not here at the moment, I can let them know you stopped by." I said and he nodded. "What's your name?" I asked, grabbing a notepad.

"Michael, Michael Hopkins." He said.

"Alright. Listen why don't you stop by here at around seven tonight. They'll both be here then." I told him smiling. He nodded and left. I wondered if he'd be ok talking to them in front of the whole gang. They were all coming for dinner.

**Ponyboy POV:**

I was driving around town now. I had just gone to the place I had been for the first three years of my life. Apparently I had been adopted. Imagine my surprise when my parents told me on my birthday.

_Flashback:_

"_Honey there's something your father and I have to tell you. We always said we'd tell you when you turned eighteen." Mom had said._

"_What is it?" I asked._

"_You're adopted. Your brothers are Darrel Shayne Curtis and Sodapop Patrick Curtis. Your real name is Ponyboy Michael Curtis." _

"_You were taken away because you were too young. Your parents had just died a few months before that and the state didn't believe that your brothers were in any condition to take care of such a young boy." My dad explained._

_End of Flashback_

**Darry POV:**

The gang was over for dinner and Janine had just told me that some Michael Hopkins had come looking for me and Soda during the day.

"I'll get it!" Jack yelled as he ran to the door.

"Uncle Darry it's for you!" he yelled and I went to the door. It was pretty quiet in the house but that was only because everyone was in the backyard.

"Hi how can I…" I started to ask but stopped when I arrived at the door.

"Darrel Curtis?" He asked. I just nodded. I couldn't believe he was standing in front of me. He was eighteen now and looked like a perfect match between me and Soda and my father and my mother. " I'm guessing by your expression that you know who I am." He said.

"So they finally decided to tell you." I simply stated.

"Yeah."

"Michael Hopkins." Janine said from behind me.

"Hi." Ponyboy said to Janine.

"Uhhh, Pony this is my wife Janine. Janine this is my brother Ponyboy." I said. Janine's mouth dropped to the floor and Pony looked nervous.

"It'll take a while for me to get used to that name." He smiled. I smiled too, he had a great grin.

"Come on, why don't you come with me. you can meet the gang and your other brother." I said as I took him in. we walked through the house and the whole time I was trying to get it into my head that this was the same three year old that had been taken away from me fifteen years ago. We reached the backyard and as soon as everyone set eyes on Ponyboy the party died, so to speak.

"Everyone, Ponyboy is back!" I said and everyone started cheering while Soda just looked like he was about to cry. He came up to me and Pony.

"You look nothing like you did the last time I saw you." He joked.

"Look at him! he's like the perfect cross between Dar and Soda, and their mom and dad!" Steve said.

"I imagine you've had more than a few problems keeping the ladies away." I said. We were all sitting at the tables at this point. Fran, Jessica, Janine, Michaela, Jack and Matt were all confused.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." He laughed. He seemed pretty relaxed for someone who was meeting the people he would have grown up with had it not been for the stupid state.

"Yeah? You got a girlfriend?" Sandy asked.

"Uhhh… not at the moment, no. But I'm definitely working on it." He smiled.

"Ok stop. Now before this goes any further, would someone please explain?" Janine demanded.

"Ponyboy is our brother. He was two and a half when our parents died and on his third birthday the state decided to take him away." I explained.

"So you're Ponyboy!" Mimi stated.

"Apparently."

"How come you never told me this?" Janine asked me.

"I don't know. I guess it was just a really hard subject." I said.

We spent the rest of the night hearing about Pony's life and telling him as much as we could. then when 12:00 rolled in Soda talked him into sleeping over.

**Hey, hope you liked it, this is my last chapter. Sorry if I've disappointed anyone but this wasn't intended to be a long story. Please R&R:)**


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